Rosenfels a spectator as minicamp wraps

We found it odd when Sage Rosenfels got only five (correction: make it six) snaps with the third team in two practices during 11-on-11 drills on Saturday. Turns out we hadn't seen anything.

The Vikings wrapped up their three-day minicamp with a single practice Sunday that ran about an hour. Rosenfels ended up being a spectator for almost all of it. He did not get one snap during 7-on-7 or 11-on-11 work in the red zone as R.J. Archer got the few third-team snaps that were available.

Once again, Tarvaris Jackson ran the first team and rookie Joe Webb ran the second team. Just as he did on Saturday, Rosenfels declined to comment as he left the field and made it clear he had nothing to say.

Asked what was going on, Vikings coach Brad Childress said: "Just rotating him around a little bit. We try to expose all those guys to all situations and it wouldn't be uncommon for you to see here [at Winter Park] or in training camp where you're trying to expose two quarterbacks and shutting [another] guy down for a day. I really wouldn't make anything of that other than we were tryng to expose those other three quarterbacks to some of that red area stuff and some of that blitz stuff yesterday."

You can buy Childress' argument to only a certain degree. Keep in mind, this was the only mandatory minicamp where everyone (well, almost everyone) was supposed to be present. That meant this was the best place for players to get their pre-training camp work. While everyone expects Brett Favre to return, the expectation also has been that Rosenfels would at least get a chance to battle Tarvaris Jackson for the starting job if Favre does not come back.

That means Rosenfels certainly would have expected to get in some work that might have been close to what Jackson got. But in the end it was Webb who got those snaps.

Childress pretty much confirmed that Jackson is his top quarterback right now -- in other words without Favre -- and that comes as no surprise. "He was one coming out of last year," Childress said, actually meaning that Jackson was the top backup to Favre. "He really hasn't done anything to move himself back. That's what training camp is for. My expectation is that all those guys will come in and compete and really the proof is what you put out on the field."

No change in Favre plan

Childress said he exchanged text messages with Favre early Sunday morning but declined to reveal the nature of the conversation.

Childress said he still does not know when Favre might make up his mind about playing a 20th NFL season and reiterated he is still holding true to his statements that he is willing to continue waiting on the future Hall of Famer.

A few other items:

-- Childress indicated that training camp will open with an afternoon practice on July 30.

-- Childress said he has not talked to running back Adrian Peterson this weekend. On Friday, Childress expressed his displeasure with Peterson's decision to skip the mandatory minicamp so he could attend the fourth annual "Adrian Peterson Day" on Saturday in Palestine, Texas. Childress did not say if any decision has been made to fine Peterson for his absence. "I haven't had a lot of time to think about it, so no," Childress said. Peterson could be fined $9,442.

-- Linebacker Chad Greenway and cornerback Chris Cook did not practice again because of undisclosed injuries but Childress said both were fine. Greenway went through stretching each day of the camp but then returned to the locker room along with left guard Steve Hutchinson (shoulder), cornerback Cedric Griffin (ACL) and linebacker E.J. Henderson (leg). All three of those players are coming off surgery. Childress said the expectation is that Hutchinson will be ready for the start of training camp.

-- Jackson completed three of six passes in 11-on-11 red-zone drills this morning. Joe Webb and R.J. Archer were each 1-for-3.

-- Veterans were free to leave after Sunday's practice and won't be required to be back again until training camp opens. However, Griffin and Henderson will continue to rehab. "All those guys have a little different program," Childress said. "Some of them are tapping out today and will be back after the 4th of July. Some of them are going to continue here up until the 4th of July. Some are in for a week. I'm big on having them get away but everybody has got a little different menu on where they are at rehabilitation wise all across the board."